Why Josh Shapiro Could Be a Suitable Running Mate for the Online Left

Just hear me out

There's a lot of chatter based on various factors (and an Axios story) that Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro will be chosen as Kamala Harris's running mate. It's important to note here, however, that no one knows. Vice President Harris may not even know her choice yet — she's meeting in person with several finalists over the weekend to make her decision. On the Pod Save America podcast this morning, one of the hosts mentioned that an Obama speechwriter in 2008 had to prepare drafts for three potential vice presidential picks (Biden, Evan Bayh, and Tim Kaine) until the last minute. It may come down to the final hours.

I'm still partial to Tim Walz because he's an awesome midwestern progressive dad, but in the real world, where the candidate who wins Pennsylvania probably wins the White House, Josh Shapiro is probably the smartest choice. He's not only super popular in Pennsylvania, but he's politically moderate and will win over a lot of Rust Belt grandmothers because this is a guy—like Joe Biden—that you can't really paint as a “radical liberal.” Donald Trump can argue it until he's blue in the face, but once the electorate gets to know Shapiro, no one is going to buy it. The fact that he once endorsed a school voucher plan probably works in his favor with those crucial moderate and independent voters.

Could choosing Shapiro dampen the youth's enthusiasm for Harris or her campaign's social media momentum? I hope not. Joe Biden, after all, didn't hurt the youth's enthusiasm for Obama in 2008. And Shapiro is very good on camera, as he continues to illustrate even today.

The issue with Shapiro continues to be Israel. This is actually not a big issue with the broader electorate, and polls have repeatedly shown that it's not even a priority for younger voters. But it is a big deal to online progressives, of which I sometimes include myself. For people who spend a lot of time online (like almost anyone reading this on a Substack for a site called Pajiba), it's an issue we are going to hear about a lot whether it matters to the broader electorate or not.

Here's what I'll say about Shapiro's political stance on the Middle East: He holds the same beliefs not only as the other VP candidates but as most American Jews, including myself, which is: We believe Israel's right to exist, but we also believe in the right of the Palestinian state to exist; we think that Benjamin Netanyahu is one of the worst leaders in the world, and we believe the way he has handled this war is a disgrace.

This isn't a controversial position, although for Donald Trump, it is tantamount to being a member of Hamas. But for the online left, it's also not progressive enough. I get that!

But consider this: If Kamala Harris runs to the left of Joe Biden on Gaza, as many expect, Shapiro — who does have a close connection with Israel — provides her some cover. Shapiro, as VP, doesn't get any say on the Middle East — he has to adopt her policies, just as Harris had to adopt Biden's policies. But having him on the ticket does allow her to speak more empathetically about Palestinians and more forcefully against the human rights violations being committed by Israel without alienating Jewish people or pro-Israel supporters. You can't call Harris antisemitic — she's married to a Jewish man, and her VP nominee is Jewish.

I doubt that this will calm many concerns about the online left more broadly, but I hope it will alleviate some concerns from our readers on the left. Because I'll be honest and vulnerable here: The tension between the liberals and progressives on our site is a source of a lot of stress for me! I don't want the potential selection of Shapiro to alienate anyone. I want to maintain unity not just across the internet but here.

The Democrats' disagreements over Israel and whether Joe Biden should remain on the ticket have been emotionally taxing. I hope that regardless of her pick, we can all unite behind her and against Donald Trump—not just in an 'I'd vote for a ham sandwich over Donald Trump' way, but with genuine enthusiasm befitting the historic possibility of a brilliant Black and Indian American woman becoming President of the United States.